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New Shreveport restaurant will introduce you to true 'southwestern' cuisine

McElwee chose the name Tejas because of meaning: It's a Native American term used for "friend" or "allies" and would later be used by the Spanish to name the state of Texas, he said.

"The concept of it being Tejas and what it means to me is in the atmosphere and the feel of the place," said McElwee. "It's more laid back, friendly, country atmosphere."

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Weston McElwee, owner of Tejas hopes to have his reataurant open soon but a series of unexpected problems with the space have set back the grand opening.(Photo: Douglas Collier, The Times)

Ingredients and recipes will be inspired by cooking traditions in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California and seafood pulled from the South Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico off of Texas. He calls it "true Southwestern" and not Tex-Mex.

The few differences will be less heavy cheeses and fried food and more grilled dishes.

The menu isn't set in stone, which is a perk for having the owner at the stove. The kitchen is McElwee's personal playground, which means anything goes.

"That's going to be the base of the menu, but we're still going to play around and do different influences from all over the world," said McElwee. "Because if I don't have my play time like that I'll get bored."

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The decor of Tejas is eclectic with bits of Americana scattered throughout.(Photo: Douglas Collier, The Times)

​As chefs, they can personally relate to McElwee's challenges and needs as he goes forward to build Tejas from the ground up and work to make it a success. And there's no competition between the chefs who see themselves as "tejas" or "allies."

"We bounce things off each other constantly," said Wilkinson. "The three of us have always had a good network here. It's a really big industry, but it's pretty close-knit. I want this dude to succeed. He's going to be a success for sure. There's no doubt in anyone's mind."

Before culinary school, McElwee attended Louisiana Tech in the 1990s where he met his two Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brothers turned best friends.

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Weston McElwee, owner of Tejas works in his restaurant fixing lights over the bar.(Photo: Douglas Collier, The Times)

After two and a half years in college, McElwee left La.Tech to enroll in a culinary school in Baton Rouge. His friends' paths took them down similar roads to leave traditional college to study culinary arts.

"Between Weston and Bill, they're the reason I'm in the business," said Wilkinson."I'm the youngest of the bunch and they really had a huge impact on my career. And Weston has always been a bird of a different feather, doing his own thing with Bella (Fresca) then branching out to do Tejas. It's going to be something completely different than what we've seen."

Besides emotional support and encouragement, they offered a piece of their family history to Tejas.

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A series of mantels lines the wall of the bar at Tejas.(Photo: Douglas Collier, The Times)

The three mantles in the dining room were gifted from Chef Bill Kelly's parents' home, as well an old wood, a saw blade and other antiques from their farm.

McElwee used large, wire spools to create a chandelier of cooking tools such as antique flour sifters, graters and mason jars to give the decor an industrial/western look, he said. Many pieces came from Wilkinson's family's farm.

"Everything in here pretty much has a story," said McElwee. "A lot of these little decorations came from other chefs' families and my mother's grandparents' farm."

A labor of love

Running a restaurant isn't new to McElwee but it hasn't made the process any easier.

McElwee has worked in the food industry since he was 16, having started by working at Maxwell's Market — which happens to be just down the street from his new restaurant. He later worked at Cambridge Country Club, Horseshoe Casino and Eldorado Casino.

He was the co-owner of Bella Fresca, just down the road from Tejas, until February of last year and had been looking for a place to open a new dining destination.

It's been a labor of love to open the new restaurant in Shreveport's South Highlands neighborhood, and construction has been a major factor.

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The decor at Tejas incorporates recycled with Americana.(Photo: Douglas Collier, The Times)

"We're taking one step forward and five steps back as far as construction goes. Then I'll change my mind about something then take it down and redo it. I get kind of — I don't want to say perfectionist — but if it does look right to me or doesn't feel right I'll redo it. I'm the same way with food."

McElwee has been hands on in the whole process. He welded the supports for the bar, built all the walls, laid bricks and constructed the flag decor — an American and Texas state flag made from palette wood. He dismantled his coffee table to make the green shutters hanging in the restaurant's dining room. The wall of shutters will be the backdrop to a local art exhibition.

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Tejas is the Spanish word that's the derivative of the state name Texas. The menu at Tejas will feature food from the Texas region and surrounding areas.(Photo: Tiana Kennell/The Times)

"I've known him for a long time and I know what he's capable of and having that location, what he's doing with the theme and the character of the building, it's going to be a home run," said Kelly. "He'll have that for a long time. And what's cool about Wes, he'll forever change the menu — he may change it once a month, still keeping with the theme — and not many people do that anymore and that's a shame."

The restaurant is creeping close to opening day and McElwee said his goal is to make it a place for everyone to feel like home. And it's bound to happen with a little help from his "tejas."